Headlight apparatus for vehicles and process for dimming.



J. H. KENDIG.-

HEADLIGHT APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES AND PROCESS FOR DIMMING.

APPLLCATION FILED AUG. 20. 1911.

Patented NOV- 6, 1917.

s V f- N R o T T A JULIAN H. KENDIG, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA- HEADLIGHT APPAFATUS FOR VEHICLES AND IROCESS FOB DIMMING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

Application filed August 30, 1917. Serial No. 188,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIAN H. 'Knnmo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Alleghen and State of Pennsylvania, have invente certain new and useful Improvements in HeadlightApparatus for Vehicles and Processes for Dimming, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to illuminating apparatus and more particularly that class of apparatus used on locomotives, electrical cars, automobiles, launches, etc., for illuminating the path in which the vehicle is traveling. It has been found that when a headlight is of sufiicient brightness to properly illuminate the path ahead, it is usually so bright that it blinds the operator of a vehicle coming towardit or facin it, and this invention has for its'principal objects, the provision of an apparatus-whereby the light from one vehicle actuates certain dimming mechanism on the other vehicle,t11ereby automatically reducing the intensity-of the opposing headlight so that it will not blind the operator facing it; the provision of apparatus whereby the intensity of the lights of approaching opposing vehicles is gradually reduced as the lights approach one another and whereby they will gain full intensity immediately after the vehicles pass the critical position; the provision of apparatus of the class described that is simple, accurate, durable and inexpensive, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear. Certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings,

wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of approaching locomotives with the apparatus applied to each; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of two complete opposing illuminating systems; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a relay dimmer used in each apparatus; and Fig. 4 is a modified formofapparatus applied to a gas lamp.

Referring to the drawings, each apparatus consists of a suitable source of power, such as a generator 1, a lamp orheadlight 2 preferably fitted with a parabolic reflector 3,

- a resistance coil or dimmer 4 in series with the light 2, a dimmer relay?) for cutting in various resistances in the light circuit, a source of power for operating the dimmer relay 5 such as a batter 6, and-a, selenium cell 7 in series with the. 5,'provided with a Mangin or other suitable reflector 8 for focusing light rays upon the cell as indicated in dotted lines.

When light rays emanating from one lamp 2 strike the reflector 8, they are focused upon the selenium cell 7, which reduce its resistance according to well known principles and permit a greater flow of current from the batteries 6, thereby exciting the dimmer relay 5, to be hereinafter described, so that it cuts in successively sections of the resistance coil 4 as the intensity of the light upon the cell is increased.

Therefore, when two opposing lights 2 approach one another, such as for instance the lights of the approaching locomotives shown in Fig. 1, they will immediately cause the dimming apparatus to operate in the opposing apparatus, each automatically reducing the intensity of the opposing light as they continue to approach and finally returning to'full intensity as the light rays cease to strike the selenium cells when the vehicles pass one another.

The dimmer relay consists of a soft iron core 9 about which is wound a coil 9' of insulated copper wire connected in series with the selenium cell? and the battery 6. A plurality of soft iron armatures 10 are mounted upon the converging ends of radially disposed springs 1, 2", 3', 4', 5, and 6, adjustably mounted in the ring 11 carried by the end of the coil. Each spring is provided with an adjustable leaf 12 each being adjusted a slight distance farther from the center, (see Figs. 2 and 3). so that spring 1 is the weakest and 2 a trifle stronger and so on with spring 6 being the strongest.

Normally, the armatures 10 are spaced a minute distance from the core -9, which is mounted in the coil for longitudinal adjust ment, and are in contact with the adjustable contact screws 13, (Fig. 3), one for each spring, disposed on a conductor head 14, adjustably mounted in an insulated standard 15 adjacent the coil. The springs 1 to 6 inclusive are respectively connected to terminal 1", 2-", 3", 4", 5" and 6 of the resistance coil 4. The lamp circuit including thedimmer resistance coil 4,- is as follows:

c 'to conductor head 14 through conductor head to wire 01, back to generator. ,That' is the circuit when "all the armatures -1,0 are drawn away from the contact screws 13 of the conductor head.

. circuit through wire 1 and forcing the ourrent to pass through the first section of the resistance coil between contacts 1" and 2 and through wire 2, spring 2, conductor head 18, wire d to generator 1.

Further energization of the core 9 W111 draw the armature 10 on the next weakest spring 2 away from its contact screw 18 and cause the second section of the coil 4: to be cut in, the current then passing through wire 3 to spring 3, conductor head 14, wire (Z to generator 1.

Further energization of the coil will suecessively draw s rings 8", 4, 5 and 6 away from the contac s 13 causing the current to successively flow through wires 4 5, 6 and eventually through wire 0 with all the resistance cut in.

The resistance relay 5 is operated through the following circuitzCommencing with the battery 6, current flows through wire 6, the selenium cell 7, wire f, magnet coil'9, wire 9 to battery 6. As the intensity of the light rays increase on the selenium cell, its resistanee is reduced and the current correspondingly increased through the coil 9. Therefore, increase in the intensity of the light on the selenium cell will cause resistance to be correspondingly increased in the light circuit and the light 2 correspondingly dimmed.

The complete operation of the device is as follows: When two lights connected with the just described pparatus approach one another, the light from one will affect the resistance in the light circuit of the other by means of the selenium cell, thereby reducing the intensity of the light. The light of the second apparatus will at the same time affect the light of the first, and a reduction of the intensity of the light connected with the first apparatus will be produced. If the lights remain stationary no further reduction in intensity would take place. If the lights are moved toward one another, the intensity of the reduced light will increase on each cell and shortly cause a still further reduction of intensity of light through the medium of the relay resistance: still further movement of the lights toward one another will cause a corresponding reduction in intensity t-hrough an increase of resistance until all'the resistance is cut in. The total resistance should not be greater than that just.

necessary to prevent blinding of an operator when the light is at its closest position before the operator. Immediately after the vehicles come to a position where the light no ion or strikes the eyes of the operator, the lig t will no longer strike the selenium cell and when the cell is again in darkness the ma net will release the armatures and again shunt the resistance coil.

Fig. 1 illustrates the lamp 2 and cell 7 together with the remainder of the apparatus applied to approaching locomotives, but this apparatus is just as applicable to auto mobiles, street ears, launches, etc, with the same advantages. While one form of resistance relay is shown to illustrate the broad principle of the invention the invention is not limited to the specific relay or system of wiring as other forms may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For instance, gas may be used as the illuminating agent instead of electricity, and in this case the apparatus illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4 is used. Referring to Fig. 4, 15 is a gas burner controlled by a gas valve 16 disposed between the burner and the supply pipe 17. In normal operation the gas valve is wide open and is adapted to be closed by a solenoid 18 connected to the valve lever 19 so that when the current increases in the solenoid the gas valve will. be gradually closed thereby reducing the illumination of the lamp 15. In this apparatus a relay similar to the one illustrated in Fig. 2 is used with the exception that the wires are connected to theterminals in such a manner that as the intensity of the current through the selenium cell 20 increases resistance through the coil 21, which is coupled to the relay 22, will be diminished thereby permitting of movement of the solenoid core to the right as the resistance is cut out.

It will be seen that as the light increases on the cell 20 resistance of the coil 21 will he gradually cut out by the relay 22 and the valve 16 will thereby be caused to close and cut down the illumination.

What I claim is:

1. The herein described process of dimming headlights on opposing vehicles, which consists in making the headlight on each vehicle responsive to illumination from a light on the o posing vehicle.

2. The here n described process of dimmlng a pair of vehicle headlights, which consists in making each headlight responsive to illumination from the other headlight. 3. The herein described process of gradually dimming a pair of vehicle headlights which consists in making each headlight responsive to varying intensities of illumination from the other headlight.

4 The Therein described process of dimming a vehicle headlight, which consists in making the headlight responsive to illumination from a light on an opposing vehicle.

5. The combination with a pair of oppositely disposed vehicles, of a headlight on one vehicle adapted to illuminate the path of the vehicle, means for dimming the headlight, and means on the opposite vehicle for efiecting the dimming means on the first vehicle.

6. The combination with a pair of oppositely disposed vehicles, of a headlight on one vehicle adapted to illuminate the path of the vehicle, means for dimming the headlight, and means including a light on the opposite vehicle for effecting the dimming means on the first vehicle.

7. The combination with a pair of oppositely disposed vehicles, of a headlight on one vehicle adapted to illuminate the path of the vehicle, means for dimming the headlight including a light responsive element, and a light on the opposite vehicle for effecting the light responsive element on the first vehicle.

8. The combination with a pair of oppositely disposed vehicles, of a headlight on one vehicle adapted to illuminate the path of the vehicle, means for dimming the headlight including a selenium cell, and a light on the opposite vehicle for effecting the selenium cell of the dimming means.

9. The combination with a pair of oppositely disposed vehicles, a controlled headlight on each vehicle, and means for controlling each light responsive to illumination from the controlled light on the opposite vehicle.

10. A lighting system for vehicles comprising in combination, a light and means for dimming said light responsive to illumination in the path of 'the vehicle, the said means being adapted to dim the light gradually as the intensity of the illumination increases.

11. A lighting system for vehicles comprising in combination, a light, means for dimming the light and means controlling the dimming means responsive to illumination in the path of the vehicle.

12. A lighting system for vehicles comprising a light, electrically operated means for dimming the light and means for actuating the dimming means including a light responsive resistance element adapted to dim the light gradually as the intensity of the light on the responsive element increases.

JULIAN H. KENDIG. 

